Wheel suspension for coal loaders



May 27, 1952 LEE WHEEL SUSPENSION FOR COAL LOADERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1947 Hobo:

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WHEEL SUSPENSION FOR COAL LOADERS Filed Dec. 5, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 HTTY May 27, 1952 LEE WHEEL SUSPENSION FOR COAL LOADERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 5, 1947 May 27, 1952 LEE WHEEL SUSPENSION FOR COAL LOADERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 5, 1947 MUN [NVE/VTOQ. AleTHula L .LEE BY Patented May 27, 1952 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Arthur L. Lee, Upper Arlington, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application December 3, 1947, Serial No. 789,382 In Canada March 17, 1945 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a loading machine particularly adapted to load coal in an underground mine room.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved machine of the above mentioned type.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a loading machine with traction wheels which may be adjusted about upright axes from substantially parallel to substantially tandem positions, preferably also including mechanism to adjust the wheels vertically upwardly and downwardly relative to the main frame of the loading machine. 7

Still a further object of the invention is to provide mechanism as above set forth, involving hydraulic motor means and in one form of the invention also providing a floating thrust bar to transmit the load of a loading machine to the traction wheels.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a loading machine incorporating the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View showing particularly the mounting and driving mechanism for one of the traction wheels;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing particularlyv the locking and interconnecting mechanism for the two traction wheels, parts of the loader being removed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view through the loader near the traction wheels, with parts omitted and other parts broken away;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevational view taken on the line 86 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevational view through the loader showing one of the wheels and mounting means in section, with the other in elevation, of a modified form of loader.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 530,361, filed April 10, 1944, now Patent No. 2,589,827, dated March 18, 1952, entitled Loading Machine, and my application Serial No. 755,162, filed June 17, 1947, and since abandoned, entitled Underground Loading Machine.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the loading machine in its general arrangement of parts will be only briefly described, since they are described and disclosed in full detail in my application Serial No. 530,361, (Patent No. 2,589,827) above identified. Said loading machine includes a main frame I0 which is formed by a pair of laterallyspaced longitudinally extending generally horizontal upright frame plates H, I l interconnected by a large number of cross members including two cross plates 12 and I3 (see Fig. 5). The upper portion of the main frame It includes a trough l4.

Adjacent the front of the loading machine there is a gathering head l5 provided with a pair of laterally spaced gathering conveyers l6 and. I! which are adapted to gather material as the head 15 is forced into said material and to convey it rearwardly over the bottom plate of said gathering head 15, delivering it to the front end of a sliding trough l8 which overlaps the trough It, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The gathering head I5 is carried by an elongated telescoping boom l9 (see Fig. 5) which telescopes into the lower portion of the main frame In and is supported for reciprocatory motion relative thereto. Forward and rearward feeding movement of the gathering head l5 relative to the main frame I0 is effected by feeding means disclosed in detail in my above identified application, Serial No. 530,361 (Patent No. 2,589,827).

Extending through the overlapping troughs l4 and I8 and between a discharge foot shaft 20 on the former and a driving shaft for the gathering conveyers l8 and IT on the latter is an endless chain and flight conveyer 2! which is reeved about uide pulleys, as disclosed in detail in my application Serial No. 530,361 (Patent No. 2,589,827) in a manner to provide for feeding rectilinear forward and rearward motion'of the head section I5 while the main frame I 6 is held against rectilinear or longitudinal movement, with the discharge or right-hand end thereof anchored against rectilinear movement while the loader is free to swing about said upright anchorage axis to effect positioning of the head I 5 for gathering operations. Anchoring means of any desired form may be used, such as that disclosed in my application Ser. No. 530,361 (Patent No. 2,589,827).

The disclosed loader is a unitary machine and is entirely self-propelling, that is, itis self transporting and it may be run about a mine to any desired location. To provide for this there is a pair of steering wheels 22 which support the rear end of the loader while it is being transported, said wheels being elevatable so as to. lift them off the ground when the loader is anchored, as

above mentioned, for loading coal. The detailed together through transversely and oppositely extending pivot links SI, 52 connected to wheel assemblies 23 and 24, respectively, which links 5| and 52 have their inner ends pivotally connected to pins 53 and 54, respectively, carried between a pair of upper and lower circular discs 55 which are pivoted at their aligned centers to a pivot pin 56 which extends between and is carried by the previously mentioned cross plates I2 and I3. Releasable lockin mechanism designated generally at 51 is provided in association with the rotatable discs 55 operable to latch the wheel assemblies 23 and 24 either in their parallel or substantially tandem positions, all as disclosed in full detail in my application Serial No. 530,361 (Patent No. 2,589,827).

Since the links BI and 52 necessarily move up and down with the main frame I0, it is evident that they must likewise move up and down with respect to the outer cylinder 3|. To provide for this there is a sliding connection between the outer end of each link 5! and 52 and the arms 50 provided by an elongated pin 58 which extends between upper and lower arms 50, as illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

In Fig. '7 of the drawings I have illustrated a modified form of mechanism involving a pair of traction wheel assemblies for supporting the main frame from the traction wheels. As here illustrated, there is a slightly different form of main frame designated I I supported from a pair of wheel assemblies I23 and I24, it being understood that the wheel assemblies I23 and I24 correspond in general to the wheel assemblies 23 and 24 above described. Wheel assemblies I23 and I24 are of similar construction. Each ineludes a stub axle I29 which supports an indi vidually power driven traction wheel I25 including a pneumatic tire I26 in a manner similar to that in which wheel 25, 25 is driven as above described.

Stub axle I29 is carried on a bracket I34 attached to a cylinder I3I, the top of which is provided with a bronze bushing or bearing 66 which slides on the cylindrical inner surface of a relatively short cylinder I32 having an integral head,

and attached to a bracket I35 which in turn is attached to the main frame I I D. The lower portion of the cylinder I3I has its outer surface machined and it slides in a bronze bushing 6i carried in a lower bracket 62 rigidly attached to the bottom of the main frame lIIl. Cylinder I3I is thus guided for rectilinear up and down movement along its vertical or upright axis with respect to the cylinder i32, and it is also free to swing about said axis. A portion of the load of the main frame III) is transferred to 'a wheel assembly I23, I24 through a heavy helical spring I39, the upper end of which presses on a removable ring I33 attached to the interior of the integral head of cylinder I32, the lower end of said spring I39 resting on a bearing plate I43 which is mounted for free rotation on a complementary bearing plate I4I which in turn rests on the bottom integral head of the cylinder I3I. Thus a portion of the load of the main frame H0 is transferred to a wheel 25, I26 through the compression spring I39.

Vertical adjustment of the wheel I25, E25 relative to the main frame Ilfl is efieeted through a reciprocating hydraulic cylindrical jack or motor generally similar to that above described but differing in one particular, as hereinafter pointed out. Said hydraulic jack or motor includes a cylinder I34 which is concentric with the cylinder 6 I31 and spaced therefrom,'acting as a guide for the compression spring I39 and on its inner surface cooperating with a similar type piston assembly I49 including a cylinder I46 having close sliding relation with the cylinder I34 and provided with a wiping fluid tight sealed head I41.

Unlike the somewhat similar cylinder 45, cylinder I45 does not normally contact the associated bearing plate I43 but terminates SUbStflII-r tially above it, and the load is transferred from the piston assembly I45 to the bearing plate I43 through a floating compression rod 63 which has semi-cylindrical upper and lower ends, the upper one of which abuts a bearing plate of the piston assembly I40, the lower one of which abuts'the upper concave surface of a central post I42 of bearing plate I43. A helical spring I49 also abuts the bearing plate of piston assembly I49 and extends over the post I42 and at its lower end abuts bearing plate I43 for a purpose similar to that performed by spring 49, as above described. Spring I40 also acts to hold the floating thrust rod 63 in proper position, keeping it in contact with its proper bearing surfaces. It has been found that this floating thrust rod 63 is particularly desirable to prevent any binding in the expansible hydraulic motor or jack arrangement of the wheel assemblies I23, I24.

The mechanism for swinging the wheels I25, I25 from their normally parallel positions to their substantially tandem positions differs from that above described and is disclosed in detail and claimed in the application of S. C. Moon, Serial No. 754,516, filed June 13, 1947, now Patent No. 2,591,584, dated April 1, 1952, but since this particular mechanism per se forms no part of the present invention it will not be described in detail. It is sufficient to say that the mechanism provides for the swinging adjustment of the two wheel assemblies I23 and I 24 about the upright axes of their hydraulic motor assemblies or, in other words, about axes parallel with the axes of the concentric cylinders, such as cylinder I34 of each assembly.

While other details of the loader which is illustrated in Fig. 7 differ somewhat from that above described, they are not of particular significance in connection with the invention herein disclosed and claimed and consequently need no specific description. It may be stated, however, that these details are disclosed in the Moon application Serial No. 754,516 (Patent No. 2,591,- 584) above identified.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claim hereto appended, and I therefore wish not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A loader including a main frame, wheel assembly means for supporting said frame, said wheel assembly means including a wheel receiving axle, a cylinder attached to said axle having a head and an upright axis, bracket means pivotally connecting said cylinder and main frame and providing for rectilinear and swinging movements of said cylinder, and an expansible hydraulic jack for adjusting said cylinder along its axis relative to said bracket means which includes a piston operable in response to pressure being applied thereto to adjust said cylinder rectiline- 7 M15 relative to said bracketmeans to provide for holding the wheel in an adjusted position relative tdthe frame, said hydraulic jack also including a, floating compression rod interposed between said piston and said cylinder head for transferring the holding force of the piston of said hydraulic jack to said cylinder.

ARTHUR L. LEE.

REFERENCES CITED The frollowing, references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

Number Number Number 15 500,716 555,448

am Date Fitzgerald June 28;1921 Osborn V July '4, 1922 Lancia, Jan. 19, 1932 Mabrito Mar. 8; 1932 Vaughn Feb. 19, 1935 Biiur Jan. 14, 1936 Lancia Aug. 4, 1936 Viguerie, Jr July 12, 1938 Peglow Dec. 10, 1940 Watson Apr. 8, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Jan. 3, 1920 Germany Mar. 26, 1931 

